One Night Stand by Clara Bayard

Chapter One
    "He didn't really say that."
    "He did. The words 'keep up, chubs' actually came out of his mouth."
    "Did you punch him?"
    "Of course I did. You're my one phone call from jail. Do you have bail money?" I laughed, relieved to discover I still could. For all his hard work at it, The Slug hadn't managed to completely destroy my soul yet.
    "I'm broke as hell, but I will sell anything you need if it means that jerk finally gets what he deserves."
    "Don't I wish. And you know what the worst part is? Aside from the rudeness and insults? Five minutes later when we were in the store room he was calling me 'sweetheart' in that gross way he does and staring down the front of my shirt."
    Anna giggled. "Did he say 'nice jugs, chubs'?"
    I cackled in response, my whole body shaking with laughter. I knew my best friend would cheer me up, and Anna had obliged wonderfully. It was a shame we didn't work together anymore. Two years slinging pizzas together had been a blur of laughter and fun that was sorely missed since I got a so-called real job that paid slightly better and made me five times as miserable.
    When I could finally speak again, my voice was wistful. "I miss you, A."
    "Silly, I saw you two days ago."
    "I mean I miss spending all day with you, shooting the shit and everything."
    She snorted. "What is it you think we're doing right now? Stop being so sappy."
    "Fine, fine. But you know what I meant. I'm tired of being the only girl here. Most of the guys are impossible and don't get me started on the smelly locker room."
    "Nasty. Note to self: do not visit Carly at work."
    "I don't blame you." I looked around the room, frowning. The tiny reception area held my desk, a pair of threadbare chairs and stacks of dusty boxes I'd spent most of the morning lugging up from the aforementioned store room. My boss, Mitchell Douglas, or "The Slug" as I usually thought of him, had sneezed after the first trip and bailed, claiming he had an urgent appointment.
    "Tell me again why I took this job?"
    Anna's sweet, bell-like voice sang over the line. "No more pizza burns and sore feet. Health insurance."
    "Oh, right. I'm not sure it's a good trade-off."
    "Girl, come back then. Angelo has your apron still hanging on your hook."
    "Don't tempt me. I swear, if-" My sentence was interrupted by the door slamming open. A short, scrawny man stomped in with a weirdly dragging gait, scowling. "-Gotta go, someone's here. I'll call you later." I hung up and pasted a wide fake smile on my face.
    "Welcome to Courier Express. How may I help you?"
    The man's scowl deepened as he approached the desk, his arm swinging against a precarious pile of boxes that swayed ominously. "Where's Mitchell?"
    "Mr. Douglas is out of the office at a meeting. Did you have an appointment?"
    "No." He sneered at me over the high back of my desk that served as a counter. "I was in the neighborhood and figured I would drop in on my old buddy. Will he be back soon?"
    "I'm not sure, but I'm happy to take a message for you."
    He shrugged, his gaze sliding over the room and back to me. "I'll wait."
    "Um, okay. Have a seat. Sorry about the mess."
    He didn't move, but nodded at the boxes. "What is all this shit? Ain't it a fire hazard or something?"
    "Probably." I tucked a lock of hair that had come free from my ponytail behind my ear. "Just some things from storage."
    "Uh huh." He stared at me a little too long. "So, you got coffee or something?"
    "Oh, sure." I stood up quickly, sliding my feet back into the too-small shoes I always kicked off as soon as I sat down. "Cream and sugar?"
    "Black's fine, honey." He grinned, and it was somehow worse that the scowl.
    I nodded and scampered over to the kitchenette in the hallway. It was rare for someone other than employees to be in the office for more than a few minutes and something about this man made me uncomfortable. He had a similar greasy, slimy look as The Slug himself, but with an undercurrent of something even worse.
    I noticed